Willow's Reprieve
by PurpleIvy
Summary: Willow thought she finally was getting control of her powers but someone wants to pull her back. Rated K. Please read & review.
1. Chapter 1

Willow sat under a grandfather oak eyes closed, listening to the ancient voices carried on the wind. Feeling the quiet humming of nature's power ready to be invoked whenever it was asked for. That familiar tingle on the back of her neck at its desire to be set forth on a path. She smiled to herself knowing all to well that want. She loved being here, so peaceful, free of all the pressures that came with all the power she had acquired. That power that had driven her nearly out of her mind twice. Having her friends pull her back from that insanity was all that had saved her. Listening to that breeze pass her ear, she thought of them, wanting to tell them again how grateful she was to have them. Happy, knowing that they already knew.

Taking a deep breath she leaned back against the old oak, opened her eyes, and took a look around. It was beautiful here in England with the rolling green hills, the flowers and the quiet peace with which everything seemed to flow. She stretched and began to rise listening to those same voices sound their desire that she stay there with them under that tree.

Smiling softly, Willow headed back to the house where Giles and the Coven waited. She heard something, or someone add their voice to that copulation. Something familiar about it sounding in her mind. Calling her, beckoning her. She tried to visualize the source of the plea, tears beginning to form in her eyes, spilling to fall from her chin. Its need causing her searing pain, in her minds eye flashes of light too bright. The voice familiar, yet vague pulling her apart from the inside. She frantically tried to pull herself together, trying to place who called her so violently, the pain becoming unbearable. She fell to her knees grinding her eyes with her hands to try to halt the attack. When her mind suddenly cleared. The voice singled itself out from the den, nearly screaming her name. She knew it better than her own. Tears spilling down her face unheeded she realized who it was. Needing her more than anyone ever had. The name coming from her lips as if it were a prayer. Tara.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Willow," _Giles was shaking her softly. _"Willow, its ok. You're alright."_

She had been thrashing about. She sat up quickly realizing she had fainted in the field and now was back in her room.

"_Oh God," _she grabbed Giles hand. "_Giles, its Tara, I…I heard her, she was calling me. I think she me…she needs help." _

"_Willow calm down," _he rubbed her arm in an attempt to calm her. _"Tell me exactly what happened."_

"_There's no time," _Willow cried. _"I have to find her, she came to me, needs me. There's something wrong. I have to get to her."_

"_We will," _he assured her. _"But I need you to tell me what happened."_

Willow started to describe the sudden way Tara's voice had mixed in with the others, how it became so full of pain and violence. Then drowned out the other voices with a ferocity and need that nearly blinded her. She looked up as tears again wet her face.

"_Giles what do we do?"_

Pulling Willow to her feet and out of the room, Giles hurriedly dragged her along with him. Coming to a stop in front of the High Priestess's personal rooms he knocked lightly, belying his nervousness. Hearing her call from within he opened the door.

"_Sarah," _he called._ "I think we may need your help with something." _

"_Come in,"_ she gestured to a seat. _"Please sit." _

Heading to a seat across from them. Her deep blue eyes missed none of the tension the young Wicca was experiencing. The girl was astonishingly powerful, never had she seen someone come by their power so quickly. It had to be frightening for the girl at times.

"_Tell me,"_ Sarah said pulling Willow's hand to hers. _"What's happened?"_

Telling the High Priestess what she had heard, the woman listened with compassion to all she described. After she'd finished, the older Wicca looked thoughtfully into her eyes.

"_You weren't casting or invoking any spirits were you," _Sarah asked_._

"_No, she came unbidden."_ Willow begged. _"Please help her. Tell me what I need to do. I have to save her."_

"_We'll have to gather the coven." _she told her. _"Don't worry Willow, we'll find a way to help your Tara."_

Feeling the sting of tears in her eyes she looked gratefully at the High Priestess.

"_Thank you," _she said. _"So much."_

"_Meet us in the Great Hall," Sarah told them as she began to gather her books._

They left the room Willow trembling from the fear of something befalling her sweet angel. Tara had been stolen from her too quickly, her light taken from her plunging her into darkness. It caused her to fall into deep despair and do unspeakable horrors, almost kill the ones she loves, to kill the one she hated for stealing her love from her, then almost ending the world. She would live forever with those regrets and the fear of the atrocities with which she was capable. Finally, after so long, she had felt she was close to controlling her power. Had begun to back away from the precipice that she had almost lost herself in. To hear her Tara calling for her, scared, she could feel her power coming to the forefront ready to do anything to protect her love.


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting off to the side Giles watched as the ten witches of the coven chanted softly from their circle, Willow in its center. Trying to summon Tara to them. The chanting growing louder and more insistent using Willow as the catalyst to draw her near. Power began to hum throughout the room when suddenly a scream broke.

"_Willow," _came Tara's cry.

"_Oh God," _Willow reached up to try to touch her. _"Oh baby, what do you need? How can I help you?"_

"_Willow,"_ Tara cried out again as if in pain. _"I can't get away from him."_

"_From who?" _Willow asked frantically. _"Who has you? Tell me."_

Tara screamed and was pulled away. A voice came through the hole she left.

"_Me. You want her Strawberry? Come and get her."_

Willow collapsed in the circle at the sound of that voice. She retched unable to control herself.

How had he gotten to her. Not him. Rack. She had stolen his power when Tara had died. She thought he was gone and now he had Tara.

Rubbing her mouth, she got up and walked out of the circle heading towards her room. Giles headed off after her.

"_Willow," _he called. _"Willow wait for me."_

"_What?" _she snapped.

"_Don't go off unhinged,"_ Giles said finally catching up with her.

"_I don't have time for this," _Willow started off again._ "I have to find where she is. Inter-dimensional plane wherever. I'm gonna do to him what I thought I had already done."_

"_Then all your time here will have been wasted," _Giles yelled. _"Let the coven help you."_

"_Then so be it," _Willow was beyond reason, her only thought was to get to Tara. She entered her room and grabbed some of her things. Hearing Giles trying to enter she waved her hand towards the door she muttered a phrase under here breath and had him effectively locked out. Knowing there would be no coming back for her she gestured for several books, crystals, and herbs to come to her. Beginning to chant the books began to glow and tell their secrets to Willow. Smiling, feeling primed with her newly acquired power she vanished from the room.

Willow began feeling through the dimensions for Tara's essence, her vibrations. Rack should've known better than to try and exact revenge on her. The power she had attained, he could never hope to match. She would squash him like a bug. Feeling more than confident she felt Tara calling to her. She appeared where they were. Tara was shackled by lines of mystical energy. She tried to pull herself upright at Willow's sudden appearance. She started toward Tara to be halted by his voice.

"_Hello Strawberry," _Rack called.

"_Rack,"_ Willow drawled._ "Now you know better than to piss me off. You know what I'm capable of and now you get to live it, or die it._

Sending powerful bursts of energy she brought him to his knees. Smiling at the power she was invoking, feeling it course through her. She loved knowing the damage she was going to cause him. She began searching her mind for the punishing blow that would make him beg to die. Coming closer to stand over him to move in for the kill. This was too easy.

"_Time to say good-bye," _she taunted him.

She was thrown back off her feet by a burst of power as Rack stood.

"_Why say good-bye now? We've only just begun," _smirking at her. _"You didn't think it was gonna be that easy did you? Its time to play baby."_


	4. Chapter 4

Hardly able to breathe Willow gasped for air, her insides being squeezed as if in a vice. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. Dropping his hand she fell to the floor in a crumpled heap pulling in a deep lungs full of air.

"_Oh Strawberry," _Rack leered at her. _"We're gonna have some fun."_

Trying to talk around the crushing pain in her chest.

"_Whatever you want from me, take from me, leave her alone." _She was trying to figure out where his power was coming from. He wasn't as strong as she had become. Hoping his power would break down eventually and she would be able to stop him then. As long as she could free Tara in the meantime, she could take the magical beating. Tara was still straining, trying to break her magical bond, which hadn't gone unnoticed by her captor.

"_Keep trying, little Wiccan," _he laughed at her._ "Those aren't going anywhere."_

An hour later Willow slumped down after being flung back against the wall for what felt like the hundredth time. Blood leaked from the hole in her lip, her right eye bruised and nearly swollen shut. She licked her lip and laughed crazily to herself, tasting the blood. Unable to believe she was still alive, but he was going for the hurt not the kill. And oh how it hurt. There wasn't a single part of her body that was free from pain. She still had no idea how he was being magically charged, but there seemed to be no end of it. She looked over at Tara who was crying silently at watching her lover being beaten so violently. It was her Willow had come after, and there was nothing she could do to help.

Lifting her chin to meet his bi-colored gaze she spat in his face. Wiping the wetness from his cheeks he laughed at her. Reaching down he dragged her to her feet, holding her off the ground by her throat. Clutching at his hands, she tried desperately to free herself but, it was no use he was just too strong. Nearing unconsciousness he dropped her to the floor. Helplessness saturated her entire body, never in her life had she been beaten so badly.

"_Well ladies,"_ Rack turned away. _"This has been a thrill but, I think we're done here. Time to say good-bye lovers."_

Tara looked fearfully at Willow, struggling to breath on the floor.

"_Willow," _she cried. _"Oh God, Willow I'm so sorry."_

"_Its not your fault," _Willow managed.

"_Well now," _Rack interrupted glaring at them hatefully. _"I wouldn't say that. You two are pathetic and stupid. As strong as you're supposed to be?" _He laughed. _"When your coven reached her they did me a favor. They created the link that allowed me to bleed you dry, Strawberry. Your girlfriend here, she's the talisman."_

Willow looked at Tara mortified, she shook her head wanting it to be a lie knowing it wasn't. It made sense, Tara was the reason why Rack was so strong and the reason why Willow couldn't fight back. She should have known he was using Tara, saw the trap, but hadn't been thinking clearly. She had been sucking Willow of her power from the moment she entered the room. Unknowingly feeding it to Rack and leaving them defenseless. This was the end. There was no way she could destroy Tara, no way she would. She looked over at her lover and best friend. She wanted to tell her how much she loved her and had missed her. How her life hadn't been right after she was gone, but that wasn't going to happen. She knew that Rack was about to finish them off.


	5. Chapter 5

Note: I know I took away Tara's stutter but I never liked it. She was pretty smart and when she stuttered through half her sentences it made her seem unconfident.

Tara looked at her magical binds, she had to do something or Willow would die. If she was channeling Willow's power than she could use it. Chanting a spell softly to take control of the power from Rack. Willow was held in his grasp being visibly crushed from the force of Rack's rage. She suddenly went limp, he dropped her dead weight turning to finish Tara off next. Her chanting grew louder and more hurried as she tried to capture the power that was quickly running from her to Rack. Stepping up to her, this had turned out to be his kinda day.

"_Well lover,"_ he sneered. _"She's history, you're next."_

He grabbed her arm to drag her up when violent shocks started running through him, he looked down into her eyes.

Using his words from earlier, _"You didn't think it'd be that easy did you?" _she taunted him.

He felt the energy being pulled from him

"_No, stop its mine." _he begged.

"_Now its mine," _she said

Channeling the magicks back from Rack to Willow's unconscious form, feeling the power course through her she wondered how Willow dealt with it. She couldn't imagine living with all of that inside her. It had to be nearly impossible to control. Rack crumbled from the brutal theft of the magick that he had taken. Overloaded from the assault his body began to spasm jerkily.

Her bonds released Tara went to Willow who was coming to.

"_Are you okay," _Tara asked shakily.

Willow hugging her midsection nodded. _"How," _she asked.

" _I got lucky," _Tara smiled.

Willow went to touch her, but her hand slipped through Tara's. She sucked in her breath looking into her eyes.

"_No,"_ she whispered. _"Please." _

"_You know I can't stay."_ Tara said.

"_No, you have to I can't lose you again. I need you to stay with me. Please don't go." _Willow started crying still trying to touch her soul mate.

"_Willow you never lost me, I'm always with you."_ Tara trying to console her.

"_I can find a way,"_ Willow begged her eyes taking on a black hue.

"_Willow no," _Tara interrupted her. _"Don't, its going to be ok. All the things that happened, I know how much you suffer from the guilt. You have to forgive yourself. Remember how much I love you, I'm always with you, always waiting for you. I want you to live your life. I want you to be free and find happiness."_

Willow tears were running freely down her face she wiped them away with the backs of her hands.

"_I don't know if I can," _she said.

"_You can, you will," _She put her hand over Willows. She could almost feel her.

"_I have to go back Willow," _Tara bent to Willow sliding a hand near her cheek.

"_Oh Tara, baby I love you," _Willow whispered.

"_I love you too,"_ Tara answered. She stood and backed away then blinked out of existence, back to Heaven.

Willow wiped her eyes again and looked over at Rack preparing to deal with him. She realized there was no longer a reason. The transfers were too much, his body couldn't take it. She had barely managed to survive it herself. She shook her head at how badly she had misjudged the situation. Stumbling to the way out she stepped into the night air. The coolness felt like a blessing.Looking around she realized she was back in Sunnydale. Back to where it all had started so long ago she laughed softly to herself at the irony. _New beginnings, _Tara's voice whispered in her mind.

_Okay_ _baby_, she thought. Heading in the direction of where her friends were likely to be she hoped with all her heart she could live up to Tara's expectations.


End file.
